Shielded Radiation Protection Aprons

In the field of medicine and radiography, radiation protection aprons are typically employed for patients undergoing x-rays. The main purpose for this usage, as you may know, is to shield the patients as well as the healthcare professionals from the threats of radiation. This goal is fundamentally patterned from the fact that the radiation protection aprons are capable of reducing the dose of radiation to the reproductive organs from a number of varying diagnostic x-ray procedures.

The radiation protection aprons are in the first place highly considered in such field knowing that radiation has the strength to cause mutations in the germ cells that may be greatly passed on to future generations. However, certain studies and researches have noted that the doses necessary to create genetic damage is quite high, that it is much higher than the typical diagnostic x-ray procedures. It is this area actually that the radiation protection aprons serve a precautionary purpose to decrease the level of dose.

A number of researches and studies regarding radiation protection aprons have actually been conducted. In almost all of the studies, it has been noted that the radiation protection aprons are not always taken into consideration for patients undergoing procedures that involve radiation. As certain studies have maintained, the use of radiation protection aprons is only taken into consideration if the person is occupationally exposed.

Furthermore, there are some findings which note that if a certain radiation protection apron is in the primary x-ray beam between the patients and the x-ray machine, the radiation protection apron then has the power to stop at least 90 percent of the total radiation from entering the body. Nevertheless, it is still necessary to understand that it is not practical in this field to put a radiation protection apron over a body part of interest to the physician.

Generally, there are specific rules and regulations that require the radiation protection aprons to be inspected visually every six months. This particular requirement intended for the inspection of radiation protection aprons is basically patterned from the standards that are set forth by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) which maintains the order that the healthcare organizations must perform inspections on medical equipments, involving the radiation protection aprons. The Commission actually allows facilities to develop their respective policies as well as procedures for them to evaluate their own radiation protection aprons. And, this inspection is usually suggested in cases that the radiation protection aprons are heavily used and are not oftentimes carefully and properly stored after use. An example of this condition is when the radiation protection aprons are folded or filed up instead of placed on a hanger.
As given, the radiation protection aprons are very effective at absorbing the diagnostic x-rays to parts of the body that are protected by the apron. However, the allowable exposure to the body is generally governed by certain occupational exposure limits whether or not the radiation protection aprons are worn. And, in today's highly developed technologies, the radiation protection aprons are not the only means of protecting the body from any radiation as there are still some protection gears out there that are as valuable as the radiation protection aprons.